Back Beat

Grab some saddle shoes and head to the upstairs ballroom at the Vet’s Club (1626 Willamette) 7 to 10:30 pm Saturday, Oct. 10, for the three-year anniversary swing dance of Track Town Swing Club. We featured Track Town founder Nick Davis in EW’s September dance issue (“Swing Kid,” 9/10), and he’ll be leading an intro lesson with other Track Town members from 7 to 8 pm. Then show off your Lindy hop moves to the sounds of the 22-piece Blue Skies Big Band; $10 for lesson and dance entry. For more info, visit tracktownswing.com.

The old-school funk and electronic genre mashup has been perfected by none other than Big Gigantic — see their brand of livetronica 8 pm Thursday, Oct. 8, at McDonald Theatre; $22-$25, all ages. The Boulder-based group (Dominic Lalli and Jeremy Salken) uses recorded electronic beats, live sax and percussion and will be joined by electro-funk band The Floozies, whose style pairs flawlessly.

It’s good to see Beirut return to Eugene. The indie-rock “Balkan-folk” band lead by Zach Condon will be touring with new music off their summer 2015 release No No No. Opening for Beirut is ethereal multi-instrumental gem Julia Holter, the only solo female act to grace the McDonald stage this testosterone-drenched season. Music starts at 8 pm Sunday, Oct. 11; $32.50-$35, all ages.

If you’ve been waiting for a sensual serenade, you’re in luck: Joseph Anthony Somers-Morales — known to most as emerging R&B artist SoMo — is coming. You may recognize SoMo from his hot-and-heavy chart topper “Ride” or from YouTube fame. Another rising R&B artist, Jordan Bratton, joins established rapper Kirko Bangz to open the show at 7:45 pm Wednesday, Oct. 14, at McDonald Theatre; $23-$27, all ages.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!